Polyvinyl acetal resin compositions containing the butyl ether of diethylene glycolbenzoate



Patented Oct. 15, 1940 CONTAINING THE ETHER OF DI- ETHYLENE GLYCOL BEN Jack J. Gordon, Kingsport, Tenn, assignor to Eastman Kodak Com paw Rochester, N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey No Drawing.

Application mm 2o, 1939,

., Serial No. 300,430 7 Claims. (01. 2 0-46) This invention relates to plastic compositions, and more particularly to compositions comprising a polyvinyl acetal resin and a conditioning agent.

One object of this invention is to produce compositions of matter which may be made into permanently transparent, strong and flexible sheets or films of desired thinness which are substantially waterproof, are unaffected by ordinary photographic fluids and possess the desired properties of a support for sensitive photographic coatings. Another object of my invention is to produce compositions of matter which can be made into sheets suitable for use in laminated,

shatter-proof glass. Still another object is to produce compositions which can be rolled, extruded, molded or otherwise worked into relatively thick sheets and massive plastics. A further object is to produce compositions suitable 20 for use in lacquers, artificial silk filaments, wrapping tissues and the like. Other objects will hereinafter appear.

I have discovered that the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate is a very useful conditioning agent for polyvinyl acetal resins. Not only does it serve as a plasticizer in the accepted sense of the term, increasing the flexibility and toughness of polyvinyl acetal resin films, sheets, or other objects or masses containing it, but

80 when used in amounts of about 40 or more parts per 100 parts of certain of the polyvinyl acetal resins, namely the polyvinyl acetal resins in which a predominating proportion of the acetal groups are acetaldehyde acetal groups or butyraldehyde acetal groups, it has an unusual and remarkable efiect which I may call elasticlzing.

50 the polyvinyl acetal resin and the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate may be dissolved in a suitable solvent or solvent mixture, such, for instance, as acetone, methanol, acetone-methanol mixtures, ethylene chloride-methanol mixtures,

etc., about 300 to 500 or more parts of the solvent 100 parts of resin may be employed, depending .upon the nature of the resin and the purpose for which the sheets are to be used. Suitable proportions of the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate for any resin and any purpose may be readily determined by experiment. For the manufacture of sheets suitable for photographic film base, from 5 to 25 parts of the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate per 100 parts of resin are suitable. The resin solution is cast as a sheet, the solvent evaporated, and the sheet stripped from the casting surface.

Sheets for use in laminated glass may be formed by casting, or may be made without the use of volatile solvent by extrusion, for example in the manner set forth in application Serial No. 147,934 of John S. Kimble and Ernest C. Blackard,fi1ed June 12, 1937. For instance, 40 or more parts of the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate and 100 parts of a polyvinyl acetaldehyde or butyraldehyde acetal resin may be mixed in a suitable, jacketed mixer at a low temperature, for example 0., and the mixture may then be worked on hot rolls, in the manner described in U. S. Patent 2,048,686 of F. R. Conklin, until complete homogenization has taken place. The mass thus produced may .then be extruded through an annular die, and the tube so formed slit to form a sheet.

The polyvinyl acetal resins can be prepared by reacting polyvinyl alcohol with an aldehyde in the presence of an acetal condensation catalyst, e. g., a mineral acid. These resins can also be prepared by simultaneously de-esterifying a polyvinyl aliphatic ester and reacting the deesterification product with an aldehyde in the presence of a de-esterifying catalyst and acetal condensation catalyst. Mineral acids are catalysts for both de-esterification and acetal formation. The polyvinyl acetal resins with which the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate is useful include the polyvinyl formaldehyde acetal resins, the polyvinyl acetaldehyde acetal resins, the polyvinyl formaldehyde acetaldehyde mixed acetal resins, the polyvinyl butyraldehyde acetal resins, and the polyvinyl butyraldehyde acetaldehyde mixed acetal resins.

Examples of the preparation of polyvinyl formaldehyde acetal resins may be found in U. 8. Patent 1,955,068, Examples 1, 4 and 5; in U. 3. Patent 2,036,092, Examples 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8; in British Patent 454,691, Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

and 7; in British Patent 404,279, Example 3; and in British Patent 436,072, Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Examples of the preparation of polyvinyl acetaldehyde acetal resins may be found in U. S. Patent 2,044,730, Example 1; U. S. Patent 1,955,068, Example '2; U. S. Patent 2,036,092, Ex

amples 4, 5 and 6; British Patent 466,598, Ex-

amples 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7; British Patent 404,279,

Examples 1., 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8; U. S. Patent 1,990,399; and French Patent 808,578, Examples 1, 2 and 3.

Examples of the preparation of polyvinyl formaldehyde acetaldehyde mixed acetal resins may be found in British Patent 430,136, Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6; British Patent 445,565, Example 2; British Patent 465,873, Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6; French Patent 808,586, Examples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19.

Examples of the preparation of polyvinyl butyraldehyde acetal resins may be found in U. S. Patent 2,044,730, Examples 2, 5 and 6; British Patent 466,598, Example 5; French Patent 813,303, Example 1; French Patent 813,514, Examples 1, 2, 3 and 4; and British Patent 459,878, Examples 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

An example of the preparation'of a polyvinyl butyraldehyde acetaldehyde mixed acetal resin is given in French Patent 813,303, Example 2.

What I claim as my invention and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A composition of matter comprising a polyvinyl acetal resin and the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate as a plasticizer therefor.

2. A composition of matter comprising a polyvinyl formaldehyde acetal resin and the butyl ether of dlethylene glycol benzoate as a plasticizer therefor.

3. A composition of matter comprising a polyvinyl acetaldehyde acetal resin and the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate as a plasticizer therefor.

4. A composition of matter comprising a polyvinyl butyraldehyde acetal resin and the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate as a plasticizer therefor.

5. A transparent, rubbery sheet comprising 100 parts of a polyvinyl acetal resin in which a predominating proportion of the acetal groups are selected from the group consisting of acetaldehyde acetal groups and butraldehyde acetal groups, and at least 40 parts, approximately, of the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate as an elasticizer therefor.

6. A transparent, rubbery sheet comprising 100 parts of a polyvinyl acetaldehyde acetal resin and at least 40 parts, approximately, of the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate as an elasticizer therefor.

7. A transparent, rubbery sheet comprising 100 parts of a polyvinyl butyraldehyde acetal resin and at least 40 parts, approximately, of the butyl ether of diethylene glycol benzoate as an elasticizertherefor.

JACK J. GORDON. 

